Kelsie: A life full of faith, hope and unimaginable courage

Bereaved Parents Awareness Month has ended, but the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation will continue to Go Gold and Gray Every Day for Stars and Eternal Stars like Kelsie — so that one day soon, every child and teen diagnosed with a brain tumor will thrive. We thank Tracey for sharing her daughter’s journey and invite you to support her fundraising efforts in Kelsie’s memory here.

Kelsie was only 13 years old when non-stop headaches and loss of peripheral vision led to the diagnosis and removal of an egg-sized glioblastoma brain tumor on her left occipital lobe.

After a difficult year of treatment — including combined radiation/chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone — Kelsie thrived and blossomed into a vibrant teenager. She was a cheerleader and a majorette at her school. She was actively involved with our church and community. She loved music and singing.

For 18 months after treatment, Kelsie had no evidence of disease.

But in January 2018, Kelsie had a seizure — the first since her diagnosis. A scan showed multiple inoperative, recurrent tumors. We enrolled in clinical trials in Alabama, then Georgia. We tried a new type of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation. While there was some positive response, the treatments could not keep up with the aggressive nature of the disease.

Kelsie began to show signs of this terrible disease and intense treatment. The girl who loved to sing suffered a speech deficit. The spirited cheerleader and majorette suffered loss of mobility on her right side.

After living a life full of faith, hope and unimaginable courage through her hard-fought battle with cancer, Kelsie became an Eternal Star. She positively impacted everyone she ever met and our lives are better for having known her. Her light continues to shine, even in her absence.

Cancer can take many things from us, but it can never take the love and legacy our loved ones leave behind.

In that spirit, I have teamed up with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation to raise funds to help other kids like Kelsie and families like ours. My goal is to raise $5,000 by October 11, 2019, which would have been Kelsie’s 18th birthday. Please consider donating in Kelsie’s honor to make the future brighter for kids with brain tumors.

— Tracey P.